Has anyone ever thought of going to a cobbler to resole?
Wet wading, felt or rubber soles?
- Thread starter Clean Willy
- Start date
What’s wrong with studs in a raft?
My buddy didn't like his Vibram sole, so he had a cobbler resole his boots with felt. I have a pair that lost their sole, I need to get them resoled.
Yaktrax- an easy solution for going back and forth between rubber and traction. These are the upgraded model but the base/original adds significant benefit as well, I've used both over the years when studs or felt weren't an option. XL size works well on size 11-12 boots.
FinLuver
Native Oregonian…1846
Leave the spikes home on the Siletz…go felt only. Those rocks are polished like ice.
Interesting option. How do you like your Simms featherweight boots. I bought a pair for summer/fall wading with felt soles; really like them so far.
I really like the featherweight boot so far, as the name implies they are really lite on the feet and I've been using them both on the beach as well as quite a bit of walk/wade hiking out on the west end, pretty durable so far and plenty of support for scrambling.
I have always had Simms currently both sole types. Felt is what i prefer especially at my current mobility challenges. What are the challenges? Age knees lower back the usual complaints. Felt is the way to go for the slimy slippery side of the state.
My first pair of wading boots were felt soles (Simms)…this reminded me of the felt soled tabis’s I’d wear on the wet rocks back in Hawaii…then going on my first trips to Alaska & Iceland, I had to buy rubber soled boots (Simms again)…and now use these almost exclusively. When I fished the Gallatin last summer, I rented a pair of felt soled boots…they were far superior to my rubber soles, which felt like I was walking on greased bowling balls…and after I hit 60, I don’t go to the river without my wading staff
I've learned many new ways to string together obscenities wading the N. Umpqua fly waters. After a few hours of fumbling around out there I can hold my own in the obscenities with any drunken sailor or even a golfer.
Felt and hard-bite cleats are the best combo I've found. The hb cleats are expensive and wear out but IMO they really work better than other options I've tried.
Felt and hard-bite cleats are the best combo I've found. The hb cleats are expensive and wear out but IMO they really work better than other options I've tried.
Has anyone experience with the aluminum bar soles?
Zak
Legend
When Vermont briefly outlawed felt soles, I bought Patagonia aluminum bar boots. First the original version, which were uncomfortable for me because of a lack of heel cup, then the newer version, which feel great. The traction was fantastic! But they are very noisy walking on a path or road with some gravel on it and I imagine they are noisy underwater as well. Back to felts for me, and always a wading staff.
Said I'd report back about the Korkers and I really like them! So much more nimble than my previous wading boots and comfortable enough for a couple mile hike. I went with studded felt soles but think I'll pick up plain felt. Didn't slip much on the rocks in or out of the water but wonder about the noise in smaller streams. Sorry no fish pictures but it was a beautiful couple of days on the river.
That's great to hear. Was very interested in these, especially because I already have Korkers and all the soles I need - so I can swap back and forth as needed. Curious how the sizing was? I upsize one size for wading boots - was that about what you did?
Yes one size up to account for the socks. Fit was perfect.
I agree. I have Foot Tractors with the aluminum bars, but only use them when I know the footing will be tricky (the Yak, Snoq forks, etc.) The traction really is amazing, for both slimy rocks and climbing down banks. Not great on convenience store flooring, tho, lol. They are very noisy, and also quite heavy.
Felts for non-slimy streams, and I also have the old Softscience boots @clarkman mentioned for anything that doesn't require strong support or snot-cutting spikes/bars. They're sort of like if Crocs made boots - very comfy and darn near weightless.
The felts on my old Korkers wore out, and I just picked up replacement soles with alum bars for cheap, so I'm hoping that's a more comfortable alternative to the Patagonias!
That's literally the perfect description of them.
